To be really annoyed you can't get points on formula?

[Jengnr]

Due to 'Government legislation'

How about the Government fuck off? I've made the decision (actually, it was made for me but that's neither here nor there), I'm spending the bloody money, why should I not be able to collect advantage points on that?

Wankers.

[Ponderingonaquandry]

I would argue that it is impossible for 99% of a female population to be medically able to breast feed.

[mrscog]

I think it's because you have to draw the line somewhere, and it is the thin end of a wedge. I agree that earning 9 points or whatever on a tin of formula is not going to persuade people either way, but then if you have that, how long until you get a '250 bonus points for buying SMA stage one' type offers, and then from that why not advertise FF showing the benefits of shared feeding. I think on the whole mn attracts women who have made sound and well informed decisions not to BF or who have not been able to establish BF and so to you nothing would have changed your choice to BF if it had been possible.

It is also because formula advertising has done a lot of damage in poorer countries where it is dangerous to ff and not bf, and I think it's good that richer countries set an example by not allowing advertising.

[glenthebattleostrich]

As far as I'm aware this came into effect in 2007 and is due to an EU / WHO directive on encouraging breastfeeding rates. It is all part of the Infant Formula and Follow On Formula Regulations 2007

[ICBINEG]

On the other hand banning formula adverts would be massively more effective than this piffling about with clubcard points....so agree the government are being dense about the issue.

[AGivenNickname]

Formula is bloody expensive! I think it's now nearly £10 a tin! I remember when it used to be a fiver.

The piss take is, the follow on stage milk is cheaper.

[ICBINEG]

ponder you would argue that it is not possible that 98-99% of the population can medically BF even though the BF rates in some countries are that high?

really?

How do achieve this spectacular double think?

[WorraLiberty]

YANBU

I can't stop laughing here at you being told off for using 'such language'

It's cuntish behaviour and no-one's going to decide to FF just for the sake of a couple of points.

[Fakebook]

Meh. Doesn't bother me. I rack up loads of points with other baby products (double points).

A bit off tangent, asda had cow&gate grown up formula on sale for £5. I was impressed.

[WeeSooty]

Icbineg I didn't know that about the Scandi country's. Do you know did they also put into place more support for breastfeeding?

I would have loved to breastfeed but it didn't happen and the midwives were happier to give me a bottle to stop DD stop crying than help me get her latched on. So the government are telling me to breastfeed cause it's the best, but refusing to help me get started.

[Ponderingonaquandry]

I think it's bollocks frankly because of medications women are on and medical complications from birth that prevent successful breast feeding. Stats can be skewed. Is the 99% women who wanted to bf on entering hospital, are they women who put baby to breast at birth are they women who left hospital still bf are they women still bf 4-6 weeks or more down the line...

[Chattymummyhere]

Ponder will be on about the fact that medically speaking out of the whole world 98-99% would in fact be wrong as there is a % of people who can 100% medically not breastfeed thus just because in one country 99% can does not mean say in England or the us that 99% could again..

You know a bit like the whole 1 in 4 people aged between blah and blah have an STD, does not in fact mean in a group of 4 people 1 of them has to have it.. But you could go on to another group of 4 friends and they all have said STD...

[Ponderingonaquandry]

Thanks chatty that's also what I meant

[SamSmalaidh]

Depends what you mean by "breastfed" - in Sweden 99% of babies are breastfed for some length of time, and about 70% are exclusively breastfed for at least 4 months, so a big difference to here.

[Jengnr]

It's just another shitty way of trying to control people. Treat me like a fucking adult FFS. I made an informed choice (kind of) although I wasn't especially informed re bottle feeding and got the whole 'your baby might die if you don't bf' shit too.

Worra, I know :) she wouldn't want to hear what I have to say about that cunt Cameron and his band of evil then.b

[ReallyTired]

Breastfeeding lobby groups used intelligent arguements to get the law changed to make it so that supermarkets cannot give discounts/ points/ special offers on formula. It could be argued that this is taking the nanny state too far, upsets bottle feeders and makes no difference to breastfeeding rates.

I think the cost of formula is shocking. I think a total ban on all baby, follow on and toddler milk advertising would reduce the cost of formula. I would also like formula to be sold in plain packaging. Prehaps the governant could set up a formula milk company to sell formula at cost. (Or current formula milk companies could bid for the contract)

This would help families and the saving would be greater than a few clubcard points.

"Formula is bloody expensive! I think it's now nearly £10 a tin! I remember when it used to be a fiver.

The piss take is, the follow on stage milk is cheaper. "

Yup it is being subsidized by those who use stage 1 milk. They also know that many people switch to cows milk as their child gets older. (Typically a year)

[ICBINEG]

ponder the stats seem to be that 99% are BFing on leaving hospital. 80% are still BFing at 6 months.

Actually the 99% in hospital is the interesting number. Not all of those people may necessarily go on to establish BF although obvs the vast majority do.

In the UK only 65% of women BF in hospital/at all.

So in Norway the overwhelming majority of people not nursing in hospital actually can't. In the UK that is revered with the overwhelming majority simply not giving it a try.

[Jengnr]

Breastfeeding lobby groups? That phrase in itself is enough to make my blood boil.

What business is it of anybody's how a woman chooses to feed her baby?

[ICBINEG]

ponder and chat you would have to have some compelling reason for more UK women being medically unable than our scandi cousins. I'm not sure where that is going to come from?

[Ponderingonaquandry]

What are the stats on mixed feeding and failure to thrive?

[SamSmalaidh]

In Norway, 80% of babies are still breastfed at 6 months. In Sweden, it's 65%. From a quick survey of friends/family I would estimate more than 20% of British mothers are told or believe they are "unable" to breastfeed

[ICBINEG]

It is the governments business to care about how women choose to feed babies because the decision affects the budget for the NHS.

Obvs not a lot of extra money for each individual woman and baby but summed up over the whole country it is a lot of money.

[tiktok]

Reason for 'no points' is nothing to do with insulting mothers who don't breastfeed.

It's actually not about mothers and their feelings at all.

The government does not care about any of that.

This in an international agreement, to curb unethical marketing of formula.

Infant formula can be - legally - sold at a consistently low price, and IMO should be. The mark up on formula is massive - sorry, no way of proving this, but it's a widely known and accepted industry fact.

There is a large amount of money spent on marketing and product support, plus a large profit - all combines to keep prices high. I'd be in favour of an investigation into unwieldy profits made by manufacturers, who collude to keep prices high.

Why get cross about a few measly points, and not about the unnecessarily high price of the product?

You can be 100 per cent sure that without restrictions on marketing, it would be a free for all - except for bringing the price down, permanently.

[Fakebook]

I wasn't especially informed re bottle feeding and got the whole 'your baby might die if you don't bf' shit too.

Who exactly told you that? I chose to bf DS, but he was born underweight and was advised to ff for three days in hospital until he was a healthier weight. He was also slightly jaundiced and was dehydrated. So for that reason, what you've just said is complete and utter bull shit. No healthcare professional will tell you your baby will die if you don't breastfeed. That's a really thick shit comment you've made there.

[Ponderingonaquandry]

What do the scandiwegians do about medications that mean you cannot bf? Have they made alternatives available that aren't available over here?

[Chattymummyhere]

There needs to be more help for those who want to breast feed and less pressure on those who just don't want too..

I'm very glad for formula I did not get any type of milk for a month after my last child was born poor thing would of starved to death.. did anyone help me nope not a soul, did anyone care... Errr nope just oh well that's strange give them a bottle